Child's Play
by i'mpeckable
Summary: SG1 finds a planet where nothing is quite as it seems
1. Default Chapter

Summary: SG-1 finds a planet where things happen in strange ways. This version is minus Daniel and Jonas, because I don't know where the Season Seven dynamics are going with Daniel, and I don't know Jonas at all. So they have been sent to their rooms and are not allowed to play here.

Rating: PG-per usual

Spoilers-None. Teeny, tiny references to_ Brief Candle, Torment of Tantalus, Fire & Water, The Nox, The Gamekeeper, The Tok'ra, Fair Game, Demons, Red Sky_.

Disclaimer-I don't own Stargate SG-1. They belong to MGM and a whole bunch of other people. And there is one heck of a waiting line to claim them, should they ever get released. I do own Arion, Jevon, and Ravon and their ilk-sort of. Thank you's to Ryan, Jim, and Andy for their inspiration. Eeyore belongs to A.A. Milne.

Child's Play

  
  
  
  
  
  


    
It was a fifty-fifty shot each time each time they stepped through the Stargate. Either the gate was right in the middle of the most advanced civilization on a planet, or it was right in the middle of nowhere. P8Z-791 appeared to be one of the "good" ones in that respect-the gate was within sight of a village. What technological level its inhabitants possessed to remained to be seen.

    
Still, the weather was decent, not cold, not hot. It felt like a typical early autumn day back on Earth. The sky was a classic blue, dotted with a few clouds. A beach stretched in front of them, reminding Jack of (_what the heck was that planet's designation? Never could keep those numbers straight)_ Nem's planet-minus the volcanoes. Behind the Gate, grass and sand blended, shaded into grass, then thickened into a sort of woods as it curved around the edge of the village. Here and there were clumps of bamboo, and the occasional cactus. All in all, a textbook-perfect setting

    
The place looked modest enough. A few huts, some farms, a couple of other buildings whose function he could only guess at for now. Most of the buildings-if you could call them that-looked downright primitive in construction. _Doesn't look like too advanced a place._ There was a building that might be a barracks of some sort. All in all, a relatively simple place. Not much of a threat in his book.

    
Carter and Teal'c moved to either side of him. "Looks pretty simple," said Carter, echoing his thoughts.

    
"Appearances are sometimes deceptive," Teal'c observed.

    
"Thank you, Teal'c. You always get to the heart of the matter." Jack adjusted his sunglasses, then his hat. He sneaked a look at Teal'c, trying to gauge if the Jaffa was serious, or just pulling his leg again. "Let's go, kids."

    
His initial analysis was confirmed. The huts were pretty basic, probably one-room affairs Cloth-covered roofs, walls made of logs placed vertically next to each other, windows and doorways also covered in cloth._ Poteaux enterre, probably 1700's,_ he thought, then mentally kicked himself. _Been hanging 'round Daniel too long._

    
Once they walked past a couple of those, they found themselves standing in what seemed to be a town center. There was a mill about fifty yards away. Donkey-operated, according to the random bray. A couple of rather scruffy-looking militia types were hanging around the barracks, seemingly oblivious to anything. Their armament consisted of spiked clubs. _Not too threatening, although those clubs could give a guy one hell of a headache._

    
And that seemed to be the town.

    
O'Neill glanced at Carter, who shrugged. Except for the militia, the place seemed deserted. But they could hear the ring of axes in the woods, an occasional ping of a pickaxe on stone, and the faint creak of the millstone turning. Beyond the mill, there were a few fields, each with a villager working in the middle of it. 

    
"Maybe if we ask one of those farmers?" Carter suggested.

    
"As opposed to the army guys?" Jack asked.

    
Carter opened her mouth, then closed it. Sometimes the colonel's comments didn't need a response.

    
"Okay," said Jack, "We'll ask the farmers." They started toward the nearest of the fields. 

    
The air _shifted_. That was about the most apt way to describe what happened. The buildings in the village seemed to shimmer, then settle. 

    
And change.

  
  
  
  
  
  


TBC

  
  


  
  


  
  



	2. chapter 2

Chapter Two

  
  
  
  


    
"Okay, what just happened?"

    
The team, weapons at ready, glanced around. No obvious threat-other than the militia at the barracks-but somehow the village had _changed_. O'Neill lowered his weapon slightly, and moved toward the windmill.

    
_Windmill?_

    
"Carter," he said, "Wasn't this thing, not, ah . . . " He pantomimed the turning of the windmill, then glanced inside where the donkey had walked. "Where's Eeyore?"

    
"I thought so, sir."

    
"You _thought_ so?" It was rare that he saw Carter at a loss for words.

    
"I can't explain it, sir," she said, "Unless we were mistaken about what we saw earlier."

    
"We were not," Teal'c said, "The village was much more primitive when we first arrived."

    
A quick assessment proved them right. The buildings now sported thatched roofs, and their walls had been plastered over with mud. The fabric doors had been replaced by solid-looking wooden ones, the windows with some kind of greased paper. O'Neill could have sworn that the number of houses had doubled.

    
"O'Neill," Teal'c voice held warning in it.

    
One of the militia-types had moved away from the barracks, heading toward them with his club upraised. As they watched, the man seemed to shimmer, then solidify again. Only now he held a sword and shield.

    
"What the hell . . . ?" Jack didn't bother finishing the sentence, electing to ready his weapon instead. Carter and Teal'c did the same.

    
The man stopped, just beyond sword range. Not that the distance would matter to a P-90. The two sides hesitated, as if gauging the threat to one another, and for a moment it seemed they were at an impasse.

    
Hoof beats interrupted them, and a horse and rider passed behind the soldier. The man said something unintelligible, turned, and followed the horse.

    
Jack whistled silently, and lowered his weapon. He looked at Carter, and asked, "Any ideas?"

    
"No, sir," said Carter. She looked as puzzled as he felt. "This is really Daniel's field."

    
"Well," said Jack patiently, "He's not here."

    
"So I'm elected?" She sounded doubtful. 

    
"Someone's got to do it," Jack said. Teal'c merely looked at him, eyebrow raised.

    
"_Kee-ah,"_ said feminine voice behind them.

    
A woman stood there, where moments ago there had been no one. She wore a white robe-like garment with a blue tunic over it, and could best be described as . . . nondescript. She stood as if she were a statue, looking past them.

    
"Ah, hello?" said Jack, stepping toward her.

    
She said something that just missed registering, and moved off, completely ignoring the trio. They watched her as she walked behind the barracks. Minutes after they lost sight of her, the sounds of hammering began.

    
"Okay," Jack mused, "This is getting weird."

    
The horse and rider galloped by again, followed by a pair of militiamen with swords and shields. They were barely out of sight before a masculine voice said, "_Tah_."

    
Once again the weapons came up. Again they noted the blue tunic over a white shirt and pants, the absence of any distinct features on the man, and the utter lack of interest in the team. He said something that sounded like "_Rob wit yeh,_" and moved off.

    
"Did he just call me 'Rob'?" Jack asked.

    
"It's as if we aren't here," Carter observed.

    
"On the contrary," Teal'c said, "The soldier appeared to notice us, until the horseman arrived."

    
"Right," said Jack. He glanced back at the barracks, noting the requite blue-and-white theme to the uniforms-and something else. "Whoa!"

    
Another building stood behind the barracks. He gestured for Carter and Teal'c to follow him, and moved toward the area. The militia-types hanging around the barracks ignored them as they walked past. Their lack of interest was disquieting.

    
Actually, three buildings had-for lack of a better word-appeared behind the barracks. The nearest one was similar to the barracks, but had what looked like archery targets set up in a courtyard. Whinnies and neighs indicated that the next one was a stable of some sort. The building beyond it was anyone's guess, although the amount of smoke coming from the chimney indicated there was one heavy-duty fire in there.

    
The woman they had seen earlier moved away from the third, heading back to the center of town. She stopped, knelt, and began hammering. The area around her had been empty, but piles of wood and other construction-types things now surrounded her. Two others joined her in the hammering.

    
"This isn't right," Carter said. 

    
"You think?" Jack asked.

    
"I concur," Teal'c said, "This place is not . . . O'Neill!" 

    
Several militia-types were again headed toward the team, swords raised. Jack trained his P-90 on the group, waiting for them to make the first move.

    
"Sir!"

    
Carter's weapon covered another group of soldiers, similar in dress to the first, but holding noticeably longer swords. The two militias advanced, seemingly oblivious to anything but each other, and it was painfully clear that SG-1 would be in the middle of it.

    
"Fall back!" Jack snapped. They retreated toward the village center, and took up cover positions.

    
The militias attacked. Swords flashed, metallic crashes indicating a hit to a shield or helmet. Oddly, the meaty thunk of weapon on flesh was absent, even though neither side seemed to have much by the way of body armor. Occasionally a participant yelled and keeled over.

    
The newcomers appeared to have the advantage. Four archers stood apart from the main battle, firing their arrows in seemingly random patterns. The village-in spite of the archery range-had no archers involved in the battle.

    
It was more difficult to keep track of the swordsmen. Both groups were dressed identically, except for the newcomers' green tunics, and their close proximity to each other made it difficult to count noses. But it looked like the blue guys were losing.

    
A horseman rode up behind the archers, whacking at one of them with his sword. The others turned, backed away slightly, and began firing on him. The attacked archer collapsed, and the horseman moved onto the next. He finished off three archers before the horse stumbled and fell, the rider's red tunic fluttering in the breeze. The archer turned again to the main battle.

    
The swordsmen were down to three, two blues and one green. The green swordsmen yelled, stumbled, and fell to the ground. One of the swordsmen headed toward the archer, who lowered his bow and retreated, the swordsman in pursuit. The remaining swordsmen headed for SG-1's hiding place. 

    
"Damn," muttered Jack. He and Carter fired, but the rounds seemed to have no effect on the man, and he continued his advance. Teal'c leveled his staff weapon, and fired, with no effect. He fired a second time, and the soldier yelled and collapsed. 

    
Weapon still at ready, Jack stood and moved toward the body. He nudged it with his foot. It seemed solid enough, and he couldn't see any reason why it would take a half-clip each from two P-90's and two staff weapon blasts to take the guy down. Granted, he and Carter could have missed a few shots, but Teal'c had hit the guy squarely both times. He lowered his weapon, looking over the soldier carefully. There was no visible damage to the guy at all, yet he looked dead enough.

    
"Carter, Teal'c," he said, gesturing toward the main battle area, "Check those other guys." He walked over to the archers. Again, there seemed to be no obvious damage to them, yet they were dead. In fact, the first one to fall was already in a rather advanced state of decomposition, with nothing left but his bones. "What the hell is going on here?" 

    
"Sir," Carter called, and he looked in her direction. She was kneeling by one of the bodies. Teal'c prodded another with his staff. Again, several of the bodies seemed to be decomposing rapidly, and some had disappeared all together. In fact, even the damn horse was gone. 

    
Jack walked over to the battle site. There had probably been twenty-odd total participants in the battle, and-except for the two who had wandered off-only a quarter of that remained as bodies. Even the weapons were gone. "Any ideas?"

    
"No, sir," Carter said, "This isn't making any sense." She paused. "Unless this is another Goa'uld experiment."

    
"Another Argos?" Jack asked. Carter shrugged.

    
"I do not believe it is," Teal'c said, "The Goa'uld would not allow a planet which they controlled to acquire any weapons that could be used against them." He pointed the staff weapon at one of the remaining bodies. "And these are not Jaffa."

    
Jack looked around at the village. Besides the additions to "military row", the village had acquired a market during the battle, and several of the farms had shifted to new locations. The edge of the forest had receded somewhat, and there was a new group of militia hanging around the barracks again. The trio of builders appeared to be constructing some kind of stone tower that didn't look friendly. He had an uneasy feeling about this place.

    
"Okay," he said, "Let's head back to the gate."

    
They retraced their steps through the village. As they reached the outskirts-the Stargate in sight--the air began to thicken.

    
"Damn," Jack said. He looked back at the town center, as the air shifted. The buildings shimmered, settled, and changed again. "Let's get outta here." He turned back toward the Stargate.

    
It was gone.

  
  


  
  
  
  


TBC

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	3. chapter 3

Chapter Three

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


    
The beach was empty. Well, not exactly. The shoreline now included a dock, with what looked like one fishing ship and a couple of maybewarships. A speck on the horizon indicating another ship of some sort on its way. Whether it was friend or foe was anyone's guess. There were also a couple of those stone towers flanking the dock, looking extremely forbidding.

    
"Carter," said Jack, his voice suggesting something she didn't want to think about, "we're not back on that Keeper-planet?" He looked at where the Stargate had been. "Are we?"

    
"No, sir," Carter answered, "The program has safeguards built in to prevent that sort of thing from happening. Unless we re-designate a planet or moon, as we did with P3X-972, each address should be a new, unique place."

    
"Just . . . wondering," Jack said. His attention wandered over to Teal'c, who was standing by the DHD. "Whoa! Where'd that come from?"

    
"It appears that whomever concealed the Stargate failed to do the same to the DHD," Teal'c said.

    
"It couldn't have been the people here," said Carter, "they're too involved in whatever they're doing. And why conceal the gate at all?"

    
"Perhaps this is another planet of the Nox," Teal'c suggested.

    
"I don't think so," said Carter.

    
Jack heard the conversation remotely, distracted by the speck on the horizon. It had been joined by several other specks. They were moving quickly, growing larger, and definitely did not look friendly. As he watched, they refined themselves into ships, six of them. Four veered toward the dock and began firing upon it with arrows. 

    
One of the remaining ships headed toward a tower. It paused, then flames poured from it, directed at the tower. Whomever was in the tower responded with arrows, but it was obvious the tower was doomed.

    
The final ship anchored away from the dock and towers. With his attention held by the battle at the dock, Jack hadn't noticed that this ship had unloaded troops until they began marching toward the village. "Carter! Teal'c!" he snapped, "Let's get out of here!"

    
They retreated to an odd-looking mound, taking up positions on either side, and watched as the incoming militia marched toward the village. It was a strange mix of soldiers carrying swords, pikes, and crossbows, accompanied by some horsemen, and a lumbering thing that looked like a shed on wheels. It followed the militia to the town center.

    
He looked closer at the troops. These were the green guys, the same ones who had attacked the village earlier. A quick glance back to the dock confirmed that the attacking ships had green-trimmed sails on them.

    
Teal'c had noted the same thing. "Should we not assist this village in defending itself?"

    
Jack shook his head. "We don't know for sure who is the enemy."

    
The blue troops had met and engaged the newcomers. Although there were more of the green guys, the blue ones seemed to have slight advantage in the style of weapons. The horsemen had avoided the foot soldiers all together, electing to attack various buildings within the village. Blue-robed villages hurried toward the affected buildings, apparently intending to repair them.

    
The shed-like thing had moved to the village center. Rhythmic thuds sounded, and cracks appeared in the wall of the building. Several more villagers headed toward it, and began hitting at the thing . . . with sticks? _That didn't make sense. But why weren't their soldiers doing that?_ As if in answer, a half-dozen militiamen appeared, swinging at it with their swords. It collapsed in a heap of broken boards and ropes, revealing a large log in the middle of the rubble.

    
The militia moved on to engage the remaining invaders. A new figure followed behind them. It looked like a caricature of a Middle Ages priest, carrying a book and something else. It paused by one of the enemy soldiers and began waving one of its arms. The soldier paid no attention to it-or rather, him- and continued his attack on one of the blue archers. Another green soldier came behind the priest and began attacking him.

    
"Okay, that's not fair," muttered Jack. He took aim at the soldier.

    
The priest succumbed to the attack, and fell to the ground. The enemy soldier at whom he had been waving his arms, turned and began hacking at the other. His green tunic had changed to blue.

    
"What the hell?" said Jack. He looked at Carter and Teal'c. "Wasn't he a green guy before?" There was something else wrong with this scene, something that nagged at his subconscious. 

    
The skirmish had settled. A few blue troops waited on the battlefield, standing idly. As before, the bodies slowly disappeared, leaving nothing to mark their passage. Jack turned to check the attack on the dock, and was only mildly surprised to find the attacking ships had also vanished. The stone tower was partially collapsed, and villagers were repairing it as well as the dock. Several ships were lined up beside the dock, their blue-trimmed sails flapping impatiently.

    
Then it hit him. There was no smell of battle. No blood, no smoke, no rotting-corpse stench at all. It wasn't right, just like the disappearing corpses and the unmarked soldier who had attacked the team weren't right. And the buildings that went up too quickly, the villagers and soldiers who appeared out of nowhere. He made a mental tally through his memory, recalling no children whatsoever in this village. No elders either.

    
He slumped down to a seated position, back against the mound, and looked at the others. "There is definitely something wrong with this place," he said, "Any ideas?"

    
Carter watched the villagers thoughtfully before replying. "It isn't exactly wrong, sir," she said, "In a way, it is like Argos. It's as if time has been speeded up. They seem to be evolving, advancing in technology, but at a much quicker pace than normal."

    
"Evolving?"

    
"When we got here," Carter continued, "The village was smaller. The soldiers were armed with spiked clubs, and there were no horsemen or archers." She gestured back at the dock. "That wasn't even here. Now they've got battering rams, swords and shields. That one ship was throwing fire at the tower somehow." She paused again. "It's consistent evolution, just on a much faster time line. This sort of advancement should take decades, if not centuries."

    
"You've been reading Daniel's books," Jack muttered. Then louder, "What about the Stargate?"

    
"I can't explain that," Carter admitted, "It doesn't seem to have any relation to the village." She sighed. "And I can't think of any reason someone would hide the Stargate and leave the DHD visible."

    
"Someone approaches," warned Teal'c. Footsteps, hoof beats, and the rumble of wheels increased in volume. They watched as more blue troops marched-and Jack used that term loosely, as their movement looked more like a Charlie Foxtrot than a disciplined fighting force-past, heading for the dock. The foot soldiers were followed by horsemen, who were followed by a couple of battering rams and two catapult-like things.

    
"Where are they going?" asked Jack, "There aren't any more green guys left."

    
"It appears they are headed toward the ships," said Teal'c, "Perhaps they are intending to attack their enemy at his base."

    
"Could be," Carter said. 

    
One of those priest-guys followed a straggling soldier, waving his arms and making indistinguishable sounds at the guy. The rest of the troops were indeed loading onto transport ships, while several warships waited, anchored away from the dock. It was difficult to see exactly how the troops were being loaded. It was almost as if they just disappeared from the shoreline, and were magically transported aboard the ships. 

    
Once the troops were loaded, the ships seemed to hesitate, as if waiting for something. The creak of wheels warned him that one more of those catapult-things was rolling by. A lone archer accompanied it.

    
"You're late for formation, guys," Jack told them. 

    
The tardy units vanished near the ships. The fleet turned as one, and sailed away, heading . . . eastward? He checked the sun's position. _Yeah, that's east._

    
Teal'c's staff weapon buzzed softly. Another of those priest-guys had walked up behind the team, so quietly that none of the three had heard him. He began waving his arm at Carter-the nearest to him-and making sounds that were incomprehensible. 

    
"Hey!" said Jack, "What do you think you're doing?"

    
Carter stepped back, and the priest followed, maintaining a distance about twice the length of Teal'c's staff weapon from her. She retreated again, and Teal'c stepped in front of her, blocking the man's path. The priest attempted to move around the Jaffa, and was again blocked. He tried twice more, and each time Teal'c moved to block the priest's progress.

    
The priest paused. His arm dropped to his side, and he seemed to be contemplating something. Then the arm raised again, the waving and chanting directed at Teal'c. 

    
Jack hesitated. _After all, the guy was a priest of sorts, and unarmed. _Remembering the effect of the other priest on the soldier, he said, "All right, that's enough of this." His P-90 chattered, and the priest toppled to the ground. "I like him just the way he is." 

    
Carter's look told him that she had the same doubts. "I wasn't gonna let him turn Teal'c green," he said defensively, then added, "Or you."

    
"Blue, sir."

    
"Huh?"

    
Carter gestured at the blue stole around the priest's white tunic. "He's blue, sir."

    
"Whatever. Teal'c stays gr. . . " his voice trailed off, having noted that the team was wearing the olive drab uniforms, ". . . the color he is." 

    
The priest's body faded away as quickly as the soldiers had. Jack looked around at the village, which seemed to have grown again during this encounter. Something big was being built just beyond the church-like building, and another building was going up in front of it. More towers were under construction along the shoreline, and another fleet of ships was anchored just past the dock. The militia seemed to be building up near the barracks again, and he wouldn't be surprised if some more of those battering rams and catapult-things were on the way.

    
Some of the warships turned, and sailed eastward. More specks-_uh, make that ships--_had appeared on the horizon, and ones in the harbor were probably headed to intercept them. However it was happening, the village seemed to be concentrating suddenly on military strength.

    
Another squad of soldiers marched by, heading for what Jack thought of as "military row." Their archers held much larger crossbows than Jack had seen before, and the swords the others carried were heavy and longer, requiring two hands to manipulate them. Their tunics were yellow.

    
As the opposing sides converged, a familiar feeling swept over Jack. He glanced at Carter and Teal'c. Then the air began to thicken, and the buildings and villages shimmered.

    
"Oh, crap," muttered Jack, "Here we go again."

  
  


TBC

  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  



	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


    
Once again, the village looked different, in an upgraded, quaint, old-world European way. They reminded Jack of the buildings on P9X-3971. The villagers continued on as if nothing had happened. Only the yellow troops remained as they had been.

    
"Carter?" Jack looked at the major, "Why didn't those yellow guys do . . .whatever the rest of this place did."

    
"I don't know, sir," Carter answered.

    
"Perhaps it was meant to affect only the people of the village," Teal'c said, "That may be the reason the villagers wear the same color."

    
"It's possible," said Carter. "So far we've seen three different groups, each designated by a different color."

    
"Four," interrupted Jack.

    
"Four?"

    
"The guy on the horse," Jack said. At Carter's puzzled look, he added, "In the first battle. He was red."

    
"Okay, four," said Carter. She watched the village for a few seconds, and Jack could almost hear the wheels turning in her head. Then, "Wow."

    
Jack and Teal'c followed her gaze. Beyond the church, stood a building that could only be described as a castle, in the most classic, historical sense of the word. It loomed over the rest of the village, casting a shadow over the buildings nearest it. Even the church's steeple was dwarfed by the massive towers on each corner of the castle. A moat encircled the building, leaving the only means of access via the drawbridge.

    
"Okay," said Jack, "Maybe somebody there knows something."

    
"Sir?" Carter was less sure. 

    
"It appears the most likely place to find the ruling class of this village," Teal'c said.

    
"But they-whoever they are-should have been here all along," Carter argued, "They wouldn't just appear at this point in time."

    
"Why not?" asked Jack, "Everything else is." He started toward the castle. "Maybe they just moved in."

    
The building seemed to grow as they got closer. An optical illusion that didn't help the uneasy feeling he had about this place. The drawbridge remained up, forbidding entry, and the moat was wide enough that an attempt to cross it was probably futile. And he had no idea how deep the thing was, either. The lowest windows-for lack of a better thing to call them-were beyond reach, even if they managed to cross the moat. He paused, considering his options. 

    
"O'Neill."

    
He turned toward Teal'c. From around the corner of the castle, three warriors approached the team. Although dressed in the blue-and-white of the village, these looked a bit more intimidating than the militia. They also had their faces painted blue, reminding Jack of a movie that he couldn't quite place. 

    
But that was neither here nor there. The warriors-his mind supplied that word to distinguish them from the others-were headed for them. A quick glance around confirmed that there were no green, yellow, red, purple, or whatever colored people for these guys to attack. 

    
"Heads up," Jack said.

    
One of the warriors said something that sounded like "_fear-di-gah_," before he raised his axe and attacked. They were quick, quicker than the militia had been. Aggressively moving in , they fought at a distance that made the P-90's almost useless. Jack found that using the butt end of his weapon was much more effective, but the warrior got in a few hits of his own before succumbing.

    
Teal'c's staff weapon had made relatively short work of one, and Carter was apparently successfully in dealing with the other. She, at least, looked as winded as Jack felt. 

    
"Where the hell did they come from?" Jack demanded, "I don't remember the bridge dropping."

    
"We would have known if it had," Teal'c pointed out, "It would have fallen on us."

    
"Oh." Jack looked up at the closed bridge, confirming both its position and theirs. "So this place has a back door?"

    
"I don't think so, sir," Carter said, "It wouldn't make sense to fortify a place like this, then leave an easy access. These things were built for defense."

    
Jack glanced at her, and she looked away, muttering something. He thought he'd caught the word "Daniel," and let his imagination supplied the rest of the sentence. "Well, we're obviously not getting in there," he said, "Any suggestions?"

    
"That mound," Carter said, thoughtfully.

    
"What mound?"

    
"On the beach." At the colonel's puzzled look, she added, "Near the DHD."

    
"What about it?"

    
"It doesn't fit with rest of the village. Or with the landscape." 

    
"A lot of stuff doesn't fit with this village," Jack said in exasperation, "Cactus and bamboo and . . ."

    
"I know," she interrupted, "Maybe there's something in or around that mound that would give us some idea of what's going on here."

    
"Okay," said Jack, "We'll go back to the . . . mound."

    
They passed the military buildings on their way back, noting the buildup of swordsmen, archers, horsemen, and siege weapons. Glancing back at the castle, Jack saw that the warrior-types were gathering around it "Somebody's expecting a big battle," he said, softly. 

    
"Perhaps they expect another invasion," suggested Teal'c.

    
"Or they're planning another attack."

    
"Neither the warriors nor the ships returned from the previous attempt."

    
Jack took off his cap, ran his fingers through his hair, and replaced the cap. "Y'know, that doesn't make sense either," he said, "These guys are popping up like mushrooms. And moving around like pieces on a chess board." 

    
"And they're all so single-minded," added Carter, "Even during the attacks, the villagers go about their business as if nothing is happening."

    
They continued toward the beach and the DHD. The dock was crowded with ships of all sorts. A second dock had been built south of it, and villagers appeared to be building a third dock some distance away. The second dock also seemed to be gathering ships around it.

    
"They've been busy," murmured Carter.

    
A tell-tale line of specks marched across the horizon. "Yeah, well, they're about to get busier," Jack said.

    
A fleet of ships turned and headed out to sea. Several others pulled closer to the shore. A glance behind confirmed that troops and equipment were heading toward the transports once again, including the blue-faced warriors. Two priest-types from the church were also headed for the ships.

    
A bell clanged in the town center. The blue-faced warriors halted, as did some of the catapult-things. At the far end of town, wisps of smoke rose in the sky, suspiciously dark and forbidding. A single yellow-clad warrior, feathers decorating his clothing, ran through the village, heading for the priests. He was followed by another, then several swordsmen, archers, and horsemen, all in yellow.

    
"Okay, kids," said Jack, "I think it's time we get off center stage."

    
They retreated to the mound, pausing long enough to ensure there was no immediate danger of attack. Ships trimmed in green, in yellow, and in red were moving in, engaging the anchored fleet in battle. _Or were the red one allies? It was hard to tell._ Several of the green transport ships had managed to get close enough to unload troops, and they marched toward the village.

  


    
"There is an entrance here," called Teal'c, "It appears to be a cave."

    
"Let's go," ordered Jack, "Things are heating up out here." He glanced around one last time before they scrambled for the shelter of the cave.

    
The entryway was wide enough for them to walk next to each other. Although it looked like a cave, it didn't _feel_ like one. It felt like a movie studio imitation cave. The walls glowed slightly, with enough light that they didn't need flashlights to see their way. And the floor was smooth, too smooth to be natural. It sloped downward slightly as it burrowed into the cave. _The whole thing reminded him of the Tok'ra tunnels, except not quite as finished._

    
After about two hundred feet, the corridor narrowed slightly, forming a sort of doorway wide enough for one. He and Carter brought their weapons up, and Teal'c readied his staff weapon. The team paused, then cautiously stepped through the opening.

    
And found themselves in what looked like a cross between the SGC control room and a classroom. Eight individual stations were set about the room, each with a sort of monitor and what was probably control panels. They were semi-enclosed, walls curving in a circular pattern. A ninth station was set off by itself, like a teacher's desk, with two object-_backpacks?-_leaning against it. Two of the stations were occupied. 

    
There was a brief _snap_, as if someone had rapped their knuckles inside his brain. _Or a bird had just pecked him. _ Jack put a hand to his head, half-expecting to find the culprit, and noted Carter doing the same. He blinked, and the occupants of those stations shifted and shimmered. 

    
He wasn't sure what he had seen before, but now they appeared to be two boys, maybe ten-eleven years old. Dressed in what looked like Earth's eighteenth century outfits, they were completely absorbed in something on the screens, accompanying it with yelps and yells. They bounced in their seats as if to lend their own kinetic energy to whatever they were doing. Some of the more energetic bounces caused one or the other to grab at a headset-like device and reposition it on his head.

    
The team moved closer. Each of the boys seemed to be working on only the largest of the monitors, and appeared to be engaged in a simulated battle. It looked to Jack like a computer game. A quick glance at Carter and Teal'c confirmed that they looked as intrigued as he felt.

    
So intrigued that he forgot one of the basic rules of combat-_watch your back_.

    
"You guys are in big trouble," said a voice from behind the team.

  
  
  
  


TBC

  
  


  
  



	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

  
  
  
  
  
  


    
The team turned to meet the new threat. Once again, there was the feeling of a snap in his head. Then the air shifted and shimmered, this time coalescing into a young man-probably in his mid to late teens-dressed like the other two. He was tall and thin, with blond hair like the taller of the two boys, but his face looked more like the other. 

    
He held up both hands. "I didn't mean you guys," he said, then gestured to the two younger boys, "I meant them." Glaring at them, he said, "You guys aren't supposed to be in here. She's gonna kill you." 

    
"Who's gonna kill who?" Jack asked. "What is going on here?"

    
The boy ignored them. "How did they get here?" he asked. There was no answer, and he folded his arms, trying to look stern as he looked from one to the other. "Jevon? Ravon?"

    
"We thought the program made them," the smaller of the two miscreants answered, reaching behind himself toward the control board, trying to disengage the program. 

    
"But they really came through the _Qerert,_" said the other. He also was attempting to turn off his controls. His voice became mildly accusing, "_Somebody_ left it out."

    
"And we're not supposed to touch it, Arion," added the first boy virtuously, "Mother said only _you_ can operate it."

    
Arion looked abashed, and Jack felt his lips twitch. Carter ducked her head, smothering a grin. Even Teal'c's face showed a flicker of amusement. The two younger boys looked smug, having managed to one-up the other. The screens behind them flickered and went blank.

    
Their brother recovered quickly enough, though. "Then why isn't it still out?" His scowl returned. "You know the _ari-hemet_ wasn't put away."

    
"Oops," said the taller of the two, (_Jevon?_). "Anyway, we just put it away. We didn't operate it."

    
"Told you," said the other to his cohort. Then to Arion, "At least _we_ put it away. You left everything out"

    
"What is this place?" Carter interrupted, having managed to arrange her face in a more sober expression.

    
Arion looked at her, considering. "It's Mother's lab," he said carefully, "She teaches Advanced Actions and Consequences."

    
"Actions and consequences?" asked Jack.

    
The boy's gaze turned to him. "Yes." He hesitated, then added, "It's a required subject."

    
"And Arion failed," chimed in Jevon. 

    
He glared at the offender. "Quiet!" 

    
"So this is like a . . . a computer lab?" Carter asked.

    
"Yes," Arion said, "We're assigned a civilization to guide through its development. There are . . . " he hesitated as if searching for the right word " . . . _infinite_ choices for civilizations, and we have to decide what developments to spend our resources on."

    
"It's fun," piped up Ravon.

    
"Ravon," said Arion, warningly.

    
"Well, it is." He folded his arms in an imitation of his brother, mimicking his scowl.

    
"Especially the battles," said Jevon, his stance mirroring that of his brothers'.

    
"So why are you guys here?" asked Jack.

    
"Arion failed," said Ravon.

    
"She said he had to make corrections, and re-present his civilization," added Jevon.

    
"And he was supposed to watch us," Ravon finished, "But he didn't. He left us here and went through the_ Qerert_ to see. . . ."

    
"Be quiet!" Arion snapped, a flush crossing his face. Both younger boys giggled. Arion really did look like a harassed older brother, and it was hard not to smile at the exchanges. Jack almost felt sorry for him. Almost.

    
"What keeps someone like the Gou'ald from coming here and taking over?" Carter asked.

    
"They can't," put in Ravon, "We're the_ Aa-kheru,_ and we won't let them."

    
Jevon added, "They'd get smashed when the_ Khesef _ tells the . . ."

    
"We have an agreement through the Asgard," Arion interrupted, ignoring his brothers' comments. "The indigenous people are on the main continent on this planet, and are considered under the Protected Planets Treaty. We confine our activity to the islands." He glared at two boys, and hissed, "_M'ten!"_

    
"The Protected Planets Treaty?" Jack said warily. Remembering what happened the last time they had inadvertently stepped onto a protected planet, he glanced around, half-expecting to find Thor, Freyr or another Asgard there to admonish them.

    
"_Sehau,_" hissed back one of the boys. The other made a face at Arion.

    
Arion's scowl deepened, and he made a threatening motion toward both. They squealed and ducked back into the cubicles.

    
"Ah-ah." Jack grabbed Arion, pulling him back. "If your, ah, mom is gonna kill them, you don't want to get in trouble for beating her to it."

    
"_She'll _probably thank me for doing it," Arion retorted, but his words were directed more to his brothers than to Jack.

    
Two faces peered around the walls of their respective cubicles, sizing up the team. Ravon and Jevon looked to each other, then at each of the team, then back at each other. They sidled out of the cubicles, positioning themselves between Carter and Teal'c. They directed angelic smiles at Carter, then grinned at their brother, secure between the team members most likely to be sympathetic toward them.

    
Carter couldn't help smiling back. They really were cute kids. _Well, at least their human representations were cute_, she amended, remembering the snap and flickering when they came into the cave. The two boys turned admiring looks on Teal'c, and she would bet last month's pay that the Jaffa was no more resistant to them than she had been. She felt sorry for them, understanding the resentment of a younger sibling to an older, and reached over to ruffle Jevon's hair. He smiled back at her, wide-eyed and innocent, and her heart melted.

    
Ravon reached out one finger, touching Teal'c staff weapon, then pulled his hand away quickly. He looked shyly at Teal'c, his expression matching Jevon's. He touched it again, running the tips of his fingers lightly down the length of it, then looked up at Teal'c and smiled. The Jaffa's expression softened.

    
Arion snorted. Jack agreed with the sentiment, if not its expression. _You had to feel sorry for the kid, having two brothers who could turn on the charm like that._ He let go of Arion's arm, stepped back and turned away from the others, gesturing for Arion to follow. Throwing another glare at his brothers, Arion followed, his face sullen. 

    
Jack glanced back at the two boys, then looked at the older one. "Look," he said, "How about we just leave a note for your folks, and they can call us later."

    
Arion looked back at him. "They're a pain," he said, "They pull that with all the . . . adults."

    
"Yeah, well," Jack said, "That's the way it works when you're little and cute. They'll grow out of it." He studied the boy, then asked, "You guys aren't exactly human, are you?"

    
The boy shook his head. "We're taught to take the form of the races we meet." He smiled ruefully. "Mother likes humans, though, so we're better at doing them than most other species. She says they're more diverse than any others. There's a lot of them around, too."

    
"Really?" Jack looked at him with interest. "So you're . . ."

    
"_Aa-kheru,"_ said Arion. He paused, noting Jack's puzzled look. "Um, I guess you'd call us Watchers. Watchers of the Seventh Arit."

    
"Seventh Arit?"

    
"Yeah. There's, um, seven arits, and each has a Watcher, well, two of them actually, and a . . . ," he paused again, thinking, "a Herald, and a Gatekeeper." He stopped and glanced guiltily at Jack. "I'm not really supposed to be telling you this. The _Okhu_ get kinda irritated if we tell too much. That's why I kept telling them to be quiet."

    
"It's okay," Jack reassured him, "I won't tell if you won't." He looked back at the others. The two boys were engaged in animated conversation with Carter and Teal'c, coaxing them toward the computer screens.

    
Arion followed his look, and sighed. "They're gonna get us all in trouble," he said, "Mother doesn't like her work to be used as a game." He smiled again. "Even if it feels like one."

    
"Yeah, that was some game," Jack said, "Seriously, though, we would like the chance to talk with your, ah, parents. Get to know them." Arion looked at him doubtfully. "Ask the Asgard. They'll give us a good reference."

    
"You know of the Asgard?" asked Arion, "I didn't think they . . ." His voice trailed off as he studied Jack thoughtfully. "Okay." He headed toward the solo station.

    
Jack whistled silently as he followed the boy. Arion settled into the chair, and flicked on one screen. He looked back at his brothers, then at Jack. "They really are . . . "

    
"Brats?" said Jack.

    
"Brats?" echoed Arion.

    
"Annoying, always getting in trouble and expecting you to bail them out," Jack said by way of explanation, "Getting into your stuff, looking cute and innocent, not thinking, etcetera, etcetera."

    
Arion's smile blossomed. "Brats," he agreed.

    
"I know what you mean," said Jack.

  
  
  
  
  
  


  
  


    
"That was . . . different," said Jack, as they walked back to the Stargate. "No Goa'uld, or Replicators tearing up a planet. Just squabbling kids." He kicked at a clod of dirt, then added, "_Alien_ kids."

    
"Guess sibling rivalry is a universal constant," said Carter. She paused at the DHD, and punched in the address for Earth. They watched as the vortex exploded, then settled into its shimmering pool. "Kind of reminds me of when I was growing up."

    
"Yeah?" said Jack.

    
"Yeah," said Carter.

    
"It was indeed familiar," said Teal'c.

    
The others looked at him in surprise. "I thought you didn't have siblings," said Carter.

    
"I did not." Teal'c paused, and Jack could have sworn there was a glitter in the Jaffa's eyes, although his face remained impassive as he looked at the colonel. "However, it was similar to many conversations I have heard between you and Daniel Jackson." The Jaffa turned and stepped through the event horizon.

    
Jack stared at the spot where Teal'c disappeared. He turned to Carter, who was completely unsuccessful at hiding her grin. Avoiding his look, she stepped quickly through the gate.

    
"Oh, for cryin' out loud," he muttered, and followed them.

  
  


Fini 


End file.
